The Cecil Whig., 1887-11-19
Mary land Farmers iii d ISad Way.

f3..ES land Farmers iii Il lSad Way.
Those who have perused the agrl
cultural statistics of Maryland during
the past few years must have by this
time agreed on the conclusion that the
farmers are in a bad way, and that the
forthcoming Legislature will act wisely
in noting the fact and providing means
of relief from a burden of taxation
which the farmer is no longer able to
bear
''!or the past seven years failures OF
the wheat crop have been the rule and
partial crops the only favorable eNcep-
ton. There are more mortgages on
MARYLAND farms than can be raised
III the next ten years, under the best
conditions of good crops and high
prices. The phosphate and fertilizer
merchants have been carrying paper
for the farmers till their patience IS eX-
hausted, and there is no doubt that
the screw would have been applied long
ago but for the fact that the mortgages
nave been bar to suits. On the other
hand, the holders of these mortgages
are deriving steady, untaXed incomes
from perfectly secure investments, and
every succeeding year makes the holder
of the mortgage richer and the giver
poorer.
"The farmer is perhaps the hardest
working man in the entire community.
He works day in and day out, IN all
kinds of weather. There is no chance
for him to become suddenly rich by
lucky speculations or by selling out to
a conhding purchaser. 1t is a trlte
adage now that farming does not pay.
Out of the many hundreds of farmers
of MARYLAND there are few, indeed, who
are saving money for old age, and yet
the soil is fertile, the markets are easily
accessible, agricultural implements are
reasonably cheap, and labor could
scarcely be cheaper. But the fact re-
mains that when the average farmer IN
this state has paid his rent, his taxes,
the interest on the inevitable mortgage,
the wages of hired hands and the cost
of fertilizers, he is as liz ely as not to
come out at the thin end Of the horn,
content, indeed, if he has made bare
living and supplied his family with
clothing.
cit certainly seems a fair demand
that all mortgages should be subjected
to taxation and the taxes on the land
reduced 1t is unjust that the toler
should pay the tax on property proved
by the mortgage itself to be unproduc-
tive. while the holder of the mortgage
lives at ease on the others toll and
pays no taxes whatever. The question
is vital one with the Maryland farmer
at the present time, and the Legislature
should he prompt to recognize the
fact"
We thoroughly agree with the Balti-
more Ie1aH, from which the forego
ing is taken, as to the necessity OF some
Legislative relief for the farmers OF
Maryland from the unequal taxation
now imposed upon them. How far
taxation of mortgages would relieve
them is a widely disputed question,
since unless some means can be de-
vised 10 protect the farmer against the
additional tax imposed upon the mort
gage itself, he would only be subjected
70 double taxation. 1t has been sug-
9ested that The lands covered by the
mortgage shall be exempted from local
taxation to an amount equivalent to
the mortgage debt. But whatever the
policy to be adopted in behalf of our
depressed agricultural interests it at
least should be an equitable and well
considered one. The necessity of some
relief is apparent. 1t only remains to be
seen how wisely and intellisently our
Representatives at Annapolis will deal
with it.